This invention relates to a less than lethal weapons system, and particularly to the use of forward firing incapacitants with firearms.
As crime becomes increasingly violent, with more assailants carrying guns, knives and other potentially lethal weapons, there is a growing necessity for law enforcers to be armed with sufficient weaponry to be able to deal with violent incidents. In many countries police officers already carry guns as a matter of course. In this country some special units of the police force also carry guns.
Although an officer may carry a gun, he may only use reasonable force. Reasonable force does not always include shooting the assailant. Further more, in the case where an officer points a gun at an assailant, and threatens to shoot he only has threes option, those being to shoot to kill, shoot to injure, or to retreat. If he cannot do any of these he is faced with the prospect of carrying a live weapon, securable only with a safety catch, which he cannot use. In such case, an armed officer is disadvantaged because he cannot allow the assailant to take possession of the gun, but he cannot use it, so he is faced with the prospect of wrestling with the assailant whilst carrying a live weapon, possession of which he must retain.
It would therefore be desirable to provide an armed officer with the option of controlling the assailant in a less than lethal manner, such as by incapacitating the assailant.
Situations arise in other areas of law enforcement, such as peace keeping, where it is necessary for personnel to carry weapons, but where it is not always desirable to shoot an assailant. In such situations it would often be desirable for the officer to have a less than lethal option such as incapacitating an assailant.
Incapacitants such as CS, CR, CN, OC gas, and other similar products are know, and are used for policing and military purposes in some countries. These products are often used in riot control, but are also used by individual officers to incapacitate individual assailants or small groups thereof. When incapacitants are used in this manner, they are contained in small aerosol canisters which can be attached to a belt or an item of clothing. When the officer need to use the incapacitant, he simply takes hold of the aerosol and sprays the incapacitant in the direction of the assailant. This type of equipment works well for the unarmed officer. However, for the armed officer and in particular the armed officer who has already drawn his weapon, using such an aerosol presents problems.
In order to use the aerosol, the armed office must make safe and put down his gun. Then he must take the aerosol from its holder. This procedure necessitates that the officer either retreat from the assailant to allow himself time to put down his weapon and take hold of the aerosol, or put down his weapon and take hold of the aerosol in close proximity to the assailant. Both of these options present problems. The first provides the assailant with an opportunity to escape, whilst the second provides him with an opportunity to attack the officer.
It would therefore be desirable to provide the officer with a means of firing an incapacitant at an assailant without having to put down his weapon. Such a device is provided by the invention.
It would also be desirable to provide a device which can be used at night. One embodiment of the invention provides such a device.
It would be advantageous to provide a device adaptable to the conditions in which it is to be used. An embodiment of the invention provides such a device.
Incapacitants are commonly available in aerosol canisters, the dimensions of which vary. It would be desirable to be able to use canisters of different dimensions.
One weapon for discharging a bullet and a liquid is described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,299,076 in the name of Wasylowich. The purpose of the Wasylowich weapon is to spray a mist towards the enemy in the path of a bullet fired from the weapon, the mist generated obscuring from the enemy the weapon and solider using it. The firing of a liquid is not an alternative to firing a bullet, rather it is to conceal the firing of the bullet. To release the mist, the soldier must grasp a handle with one of his hands, and push forwards.
Another weapon for discharging a bullet and a liquid is described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,269,922 in the name of Gadecki. This weapon provides the user thereof with the options of delivering a bullet, or a blinding liquid. The liquid container is mounted under the barrel on the fore-end of the weapon. The liquid is released by firing off a spring loaded handle element which slides in a slot. The handle element is difficult to operate, apparently requiring the hand operating the bullet releasing trigger to be moved off that trigger, and forwardly to the vicinity of the handle, and then to push forwardly on the handle to release the blinding fluid. This has two disadvantages. First, the assailant is able to see which resource the marksman is to use, and second the time taken to move the trigger hand forward and re-position the other hand to support the gun, provides an assailant with an opportunity to attack the user of the weapon.
Another weapon for discharging a bullet and a liquid is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,559 in the name of Ludaesher et al. The weapon described includes a source of incapacitant fluid in the form of an aerosol canister mounted below the fore-end of a pistol. A plunger button for releasing the incapacitant fluid is provided adjacent the trigger guard. Hence the firing of a bullet or an incapacitant is controlled by the same trigger finger. Whilst Ludaesher provides the option of firing either bullet or liquid incapacitant, once the operator has decided which option to use, he is committed to that option for a period of time. Furthermore, the action of pushing forwards with the trigger finger to release the incapacitant spray is an unnatural one, thereby making use of the weapon difficult. The action of pushing a trigger forwards may in fact unbalance the weapon.
All of the prior art devices result in an unnatural firing action by the operator. In each of them, the operator is required to push the fluid release trigger, which in the operation of firearms is not a natural action. Further, some of the prior art devices are difficult to handle, requiring the operator to re-position his hands prior to firing the liquid. Additionally, the prior art devices fail to provide for the simultaneous firing of incapacitant liquid or a bullet.
The invention provides a less than lethal weapons system comprising a gun having a barrel through which a projectile may be propelled, and means for selectively ejecting a stream of fluid in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of the barrel.
The invention provides a means for selectively ejecting a stream of fluid which means is releasably attachable to a gun.
The means for selectively ejecting a stream of fluid maybe formed as an integral part of the gun.
Preferably, the means for selectively ejecting fluid is aligned with the sights of the gun to which it is attached, so that fluid is ejected towards the point of aim of the gun.
Preferably, the means for selectively ejecting fluid and a fluid supply comprise a pressurized vessel and a valve, which may be in the form of a pressurized canister such as an aerosol canister. The aerosol canister may comprise a bag containing fluid to be ejected, which bag is sealed around a valve and pickup tube, the bag being mounted within a canister and the remaining space being filled with a propellant which acts on the bag to eject fluid out of the tube. Alternatively, the means for selectively ejecting fluid comprises a pump and the fluid supply comprises a reservoir, such as a bag or a tank. The bag or tank may be remote from the means for selectively ejecting fluid.
Preferably, there is provided a nozzle through which fluid is ejected. The nozzle maybe interchangeable or adjustable, and maybe selected or adjusted to produce a spray pattern suitable for the circumstances in which the weapon is to be used. Preferably, the weapon can produce a spray pattern having a diameter between 0.001 m to 5 m, and more preferably, the spray pattern is sufficiently large to cover the head and shoulders of the person targeted. The spray may range from a narrow jet of fluid to a mist of fluid. The nozzle may be adjusted or selected to eject the fluid within a range of 0 to 5 m from the nozzle. The nozzle suitable provides for the direction of fluid passing therethrough to be changed.
The means for selectively ejecting a stream of fluid may comprise a trigger mechanism, which is suitably provided with a safety catch.
The gun may be a pistol, a rifle, or a shotgun. The pistol, rifle or shotgun may be automatic or semi-automatic weapons.
The invention provides an attachment for a gun, comprising a housing in which a fluid containing pressurized canister is mounted, the outlet of the canister co-operating with a nozzle to release fluid from the said canister. A trigger mechanism may be provided to control the release of fluid from the canister.
One embodiment of the invention provides a fluid ejection means for selectively ejecting a stream of fluid comprising a mounting means suitable for mounting a pressurized vessel, such as an aerosol canister to a gun.
Advantageously, the fluid ejection means is releasably attachable to the gun. The pressurized vessel maybe mounted in or be an integral part of the fluid ejection means. Preferably, when the fluid ejection means is attached to the gun the longitudinal axis of the pressurized vessel is at an angle of between 0 and 90 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the barrel of the said gun. In one embodiment of the invention the longitudinal axis of the pressurized vessel is at an angle of 75 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the barrel of the said gun.
The pressurized vessel may be removably inserted into the mounting means. A nozzle maybe provided to co-operate with the outlet of the pressurized vessel so that moving the nozzle towards the vessel depresses the outlet thereof causing release of the contents of the vessel.
Preferably, the outlet of the pressurized vessel has fluid releasing and retaining positions with means of biasing, e.g. a spring, the said outlet to the retaining position being provided.
The nozzle may be biased away from the outlet of the pressurized vessel, for example by means of a spring.
Preferably a trigger mechanism comprising a lever is provided which when depressed pushes the nozzle against the outlet of the pressurized vessel to release the contents thereof. With the nozzle being biased away from the outlet of the pressurized vessel, either by the outlet or a separate biasing means, the lever is pushed to its rest position when the lever is released. Pressure on the lever may be exerted by a user""s thumb or one of his fingers.
Advantageously, the mounting means comprises a housing. The housing may replace, or be attached to the fore-end of a gun. The housing is preferably releasably attachable to the gun. The housing may be provided with a connector adapted to slide into a rail provided on the fore-end of the gun for releasable attachment of the housing to the gun.
In one embodiment of the invention at least one pin may be used to hold the housing in place on the gun. One end of the housing may be adapted to slide into a part of the gun.
Preferably the housing comprises means to retain the ends of a pressurized canister, which means may constrain lateral and longitudinal movement of the canister. At least one of the means may be a slidably removable spacer, which is insertable between an end of the canister and a part of the housing, where upon removal of the spacer the said canister is released to allow removal thereof and replacement with a fresh canister. Preferably, between the part of the housing with which the spacer co-operates and the spacer there is provided a spring. The spring biases the canister towards the means to retain the other end of the canister thereby preventing longitudinal movement of the canister within the housing. The spacer may be provided with a protrusion which co-operates with the side of the canister to prevent lateral movement thereof. Providing a selection of sizes of spacer enables canisters of different sizes to be used.
In one embodiment of the invention, one end of the housing is threaded and the canister is held in the housing by means of a screw cap. Preferably, when a canister is in the housing, turning the screw cap moves the canister either towards or away from the nozzle and trigger mechanism. Furthermore, the provision of a screw cap allows canister of different dimensions to be held in the housing.
The screw cap may be provided with a convex surface. Most aerosol canisters have a concave base. In use, the convex surface co-operates with the concave base of the aerosol canister to ensure that the canister is held in the correct position in the housing.
A nozzle may be slidably mounted at the end of the housing closest to the breach, a part of the nozzle preferably passing through an aperture in the housing. The range of movement of the nozzle may be limited. Preferably, a part of the housing defines a cylinder, in which the nozzle moves. The nozzle may be provided with an enlarged portion of the nozzle to slide on the inner surfaces of the said cylinder.
The housing preferably comprises a trigger mechanism which may comprises a lever pivotally mounted on the housing. One end of the lever maybe provided with a member which acts on the nozzle, so that when the other end of the lever is pushed or pulled, preferably pushed, the nozzle is forced towards the canister, depressing the outlet thereof releasing the fluid contained therein.
The lever of the trigger mechanism may be mounted on either or both sides of the housing. Alternatively, the lever of the trigger mechanism may be mounted substantially towards the centre of the housing.
Preferably forward movement of the nozzle is limited by the trigger mechanism, and rearward movement of the nozzle is limited by a protrusion extending inwardly from the inner surface of the cylinder. The protrusion may be a clip located in a grove in the inner surface of the cylinder. A spring is preferably located between the nozzle and the said protrusion. The spring may be a coil spring.
It is preferable to provide a safety catch to prevent the trigger mechanism being operated. The safety catch may lock the lever of the trigger mechanism. Alternatively, the safety catch may lock the lever of the trigger mechanism. Alternatively, the safety catch may lock the nozzle, preventing movement thereof when the lever is pressed. Means to move the safety catch between a safe position, where the release of the contents of the canister is prevented, and an unsafe position, where the release of the contents of the canister is permitted may be mounted on either or both sides of the housing.
A light unit maybe provided and is preferably mounted on the housing.
Preferably the light unit is aligned with the sights of the gun,
The fluid may be an incapacitant such as incapacitants known in the art as CS, CN, CR or OC gas. The fluid may contain a marker, such as a dye. The fluid may be harmless, which is preferably used for the purposes of training users of guns equipped with a device according to the invention.
The invention provides a particularly advantageous solution to the increased level of violence faced bylaw enforcers. By providing a weapons system having a less than lethal capacity, the marksman using a weapon according to the invention is provided with a less than lethal option for establishing control over an assailant. This will reduce the number of law enforcers who are charged with using unreasonable or excessive force. Costs to law enforcing authorities will be reduced since the number of enquiries held after shooting incidents will be reduced. Also the trauma faced by the marksman whose role it is to shoot criminals will be reduced, because they will not need to shoot when they are in doubt as to the severity of the threat posed by the assailant. Use of the weapon will also reduce the number of criminals who are killed or injured, thereby saving valuable medical resources. Soldiers involved in peace-keeping roles will be able to control members of potential warring factions without killing them. This is important, as when a peace-keeper kills a member of one faction he is seen to be taking the side of the other faction. This underlines the authority of the peace-keeper.
The personal risk faced by a law enforcer using a weapon according to the invention is considerably reduced. This is because there is no need to wrestle with the assailant if shooting him is not considered a suitable option. This has two effects, both of which are due to the fact that the weapon increase the distance between the law enforcer and the assailant at which control can be established. The first effect is that the law enforcer does not face a physical battle in which the assailant may produce a knife. The second is that the law enforcer does not need to worry about the assailant taking control of the weapon, because the assailant is kept at a distance. The benefit of these advantages is multiplies where the assailant is physically more powerful than the law enforcer. The number of law enforcers who are killed or injured in the course of their duties will be significantly reduces by the introduction of this invention.
There is significant advantage in providing a releasably attachable means for selectively ejecting a stream of fluid, which means is suitable for attachment to a gun. For instance, all guns owned by a police force need not necessarily be less than lethal weapons systems according to the invention. Officers could be issued with means for selectively ejecting a stream of fluid according to the invention for attachment to their guns. This would save costs. Furthermore, the means for selectively ejecting a stream of fluid according to the invention for attachment to a gun may be used as a hand held device for delivering an incapacitant, when not attached to a gun. This further increases the flexibility of the police force.
The invention aims to provide a weapon which can be used in two different ways. It is an object of the invention to provide a weapon including a firearm from which a potentially lethal projectile may be fired, in the conventional manner, and from which a non-lethal incapacitant can be released.
It is an object of the invention to provide a weapon where the marksman can at any moment chose between releasing the incapacitant or the projectile without changing the position of his hands on the weapon.
It is another object of the invention to utilise the natural tendencies of the human body to provide separate triggers for releasing incapacitant and a bullet which are actuated by closing a digit of a hand into the hand, to thereby squeeze the trigger.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a simple and inexpensive manner of releasably mounting an aerosol canister in a housing.